We Stand For Care

Over the years, Susan Karnstedt had gotten used to the intermittent pain in her abdomen, chalking it up to her diet, or perhaps to her physically active lifestyle, as a water skier and yoga enthusiast. Little did she know that her pain could be traced to a filter that had been inserted more than 18 years ago in her inferior vena cava (IVC), the big vein that goes from the lower half of the body to the heart. Part of it was now poking through her intestines.

Removing this permanent-type umbrella-shaped device would not even be considered at most hospitals today, but Karnstedt was fortunate to be referred to interventional radiologist William Kuo, MD, at Stanford Hospital & Clinics. His team was able to FIND ANSWERS and is believed to be the first in the world to successfully retrieve permanently embedded IVC filters, and Stanford is currently the only hospital in the country where these procedures are routinely performed.

Kuo, who has seen patients referred to him from around the country for treatment of problematic IVC filters cases has been inspired by his patients to pioneer BETTER MEDICINE in alternative methods that can be used to safely remove these devices. “Every filter patient is unique, and thus the treatment must be meticulously planned and personalized to fit the patient,” Kuo said.

On April 13, Kuo performed the procedure, with no need for open surgery and no stitches — just a Band-aid on her neck site. Side effects? “None,” Karnstedt said. “I was done at 2 p.m., and home by 6 p.m., having dinner with my family.”

To fully appreciate Karnstedt’s remarkable recovery, click here.